much ftronger and finer than that of common Silk. 
Which fhows, that all other forrs of Work may be 
made of it : And there is no reafon to fear but that it 
will endure any Tryals of the Loom, after having paf- 
fed that of the Stocking-Weavers. 
Having already (hown the Ufefulnefs and PofGbility 
of making this Silk, the only difficulty now lies in pro- 
curing a fufficient quantity of Spiders Bags to make any 
confiderable Work of it* And this would be no diffi- 
cult matter, if we could breed Spiders as they do Silk- 
Worms 5 for they multiply much more, and every Spi- 
der lays 6 or jco Eggs ; whereas the Pjpilios, or Flyes, 
of Silk-Worms, lay but ioo, or thereabouts: And of 
this Number we muft abate at leaft half, on account of 
their being fubjeft to feveral Difeafes, and are fo ten- 
der, that the leaft matter hinders them from making 
their Bags. Whereas on the contrary, the Eggs of Spi- 
ders hatch of themfelves, without any Care, in the 
Months of Auguft and September , in 1 5 or 16 Days after 
they are laid 3 and the Spiders that laid them Die fome- 
time after. As for the Young Spiders that are bred 
from the fe Eggs, they live 10 or 11 Months without 
Eating 5 and continue in their Bags, without growing 
either bigger or lefs, till the hot Weather force* 
them to come forth and feek Food. The Reafon of this 
is plain and natural : For all Infers, and a great many 
other Animals, as Bears, Serpents, MountainRats,d^r. that 
lye hid during the Winter, abound with a Vifcid Mat- 
ter, which is not eafily put in motion : So that it is not 
firange, that Young Spiders fhould live in the Cold 
Weather upon their own Subftance, without any Iofs of 
Spirits. But as foon as the warm Weather comes, it 
put in motion this Matter, and forces them ro Spin, and 
run from place to place in fearch of Food : And as foon 
as they begin to Eat, one may perceive them to grow 
bigger and bigger every Day. From whence we may 
